CLEANING UP ABANDONED WELL SITES FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST

For many Oklahomans, land equals livelihood. And when that land is compromised, so are the businesses of farmers and ranchers across the state.

Through the OERB, Oklahoma’s oil and natural gas industry is committed to cleaning up abandoned well sites left from a bygone era.

This program has put more than $100 million back into Oklahoma’s environment, and has restored the land of thousands of families, at no cost to the landowners.

Matt McGuire, a rancher in Perry, OK, was one of those assisted by the OERB.

“Grass kind of equals dollars to me,” he said. “This whole operation is what feeds my family.”

So when old concrete slabs and cables were left on McGuire’s land from an old, abandoned well site, the erosion it caused had a direct impact on his ranching operation’s bottom line.

At no cost to McGuire or his business, the land was restored back to pristine condition through the OERB’s restoration program funded by voluntary contributions from Oklahoma’s oil and natural gas producers and royalty owners.

More than a livelihood, McGuire’s land also represents a proud heritage. It has been in his family for more than 120 years, and was originally acquired during the Oklahoma land run.

“That’s pretty important to us and we don’t take it lightly,” McGuire said. “For [the OERB] to come in like they did, spend the amount of money and the amount of time and the effort that they put into it to make my place better is amazing.”

We caught up with McGuire and other Oklahomans impacted by abandoned well sites to find out how the OERB has helped them restore their land back to its natural beauty.

Landowners impacted by abandoned well sites can begin the process of restoring their land by visiting oerb.com/well-site-clean-up.

 

 

 

EnergyHQ is powered by the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board – OERB – which is voluntarily funded by the state's oil and natural gas producers and royalty owners. The OERB provides free environmental restoration of abandoned well sites and works to educate the state's citizens about the oil and natural gas industry. For more on the OERB's mission and how it is funded, visit OERB.com.